Ever been unfairly ticketed or booted in Hoboken? According to a FOX 5 news report, visitors to the Mile Square City could be.

Unclear signage, the drivers said, doesn't make it clear that the four-hour parking limit for visitors is not restricted to one spot, but is in effect citywide, reports said, adding that after four hours, drivers must leave town.

In a FOX 5 experiment, the reporters waited until an HPU scanner recorded their plate, then spent the next few hours in nearby Edgewater, making various purchases. When they returned to Hoboken more than four hours later, they received a ticket.

When they presented receipts for the Edgewater purchases to prove that they were not in town, the HPU officers simply told them to take it to court.

Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer spoke to FOX 5 and told them the city was not trying to mislead people to get more money in tickets. She added that they would reassess the clarity of local signage.

HPU Director Ian Sacs noted that the signage was installed 10 years ago and has not been a major problem, but admitted that more visits from non-Hoboken residents may have increased complaints. He and Zimmer both said the signage exceeds national standards for clarity.

Sacs said that HPU officers have a high accuracy rate for issuing summonses and are held responsible for incorrectly issued tickets. Officers even go to court to argue on the behalf of drivers who were unfairly ticketed or booted, he said.

He noted that the utility's system is imperfect, but is the most efficient way of enforcing parking laws and protecting resident parking.

While FOX 5 suggests that the utility's increased revenue - $1.32 million over the projected amount - is the result of misleading signs and unfair ticketing, Sacs credited an increased emphasis on HPU officer productivity.